Destined For Denial
by WeLoveEdwardCullen
Summary: Bella and Edward, best friends from the age of seven. When feelings begin to change, the pair spiral into denial. Maybe they're destined to be apart? Or maybe their adventure is just beginning. Collab between WeLoveEdwardCullen and ReadingAddict72. AH.
1. Chapter 1

**Brand new story, a collaboration between myself and ReadingAddict72.  
A tale of romance, hurt and confusion, all mixed into one humour filled love story.  
We hope you enjoy it, have the prologue.  
Disclaimer – SM owns Twilight.**

_Love - A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person._

Love is a misinterpreted emotion. When you think of love, what do you see? Some see the bond between a parent and their child, two of the very best friends, some see two people involved in a passionate web of limbs, some see and elderly couple holding hands on a porch seat.

Love is but none of those, rather all of them together.

Love is a match between two people that can't be broken, if you can fall out of love with a person, you can't say you ever truly loved them to start with.

Not only that, but the many different types of love can be equally as strong as another. Any woman or man, who love a person of the same or opposite sex can feel such an emotion, but for different ways.

Two six year olds play on a recently acquired swing set, and two adults stand watching them, hands clasped together tightly; so many types of love exist in our universe, it would more than likely collapse without it.

So what does it mean exactly, when I'm sat with my boyfriend and I can't stop thinking about my best friend?

Fuck my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, sorry... we know we haven't updated in about a lifetime - life caught up with the both of us quite unexpectedly. Anywhooo, sorry about the major wait and we hope we haven't left any of you hanging dry and you continue to read. **

**So! This chapter was written by WeLoveEdwardCullen, the next chapter will definately be written by ReadingAddict72. **

**Are any of you in to photography? If so you could probably be a great help with this story. (:**

**Disclaimer - SM owns Twilight, WeLoveEdwardCullen and ReadingADdict72 own the plot. **

Photography has been my life since my seventh birthday when my mom bought me my very own Fisher-Price Kid Tough camera. I spent my entire birthday in the garden taking photos of the plants, and inside taking photos of all my party guests. I found it surprisingly natural to walk around with a camera in my hand, like it was just supposed to be there, like my image wouldn't be complete with a camera around my neck.

My camera was my life, a Canon EOS 7D - 18 megapixel, High Definition Movie Mode, CompactFlash memory card storage and dual DIGIC 4 image processors. Thinking about it made me smile – pathetic, I know. It's not only metaphorically my life; if it wasn't for that camera I'd have no job. If I hadn't accidentally left it on a park bench in Central Park once, then the biggest photographer in New York – Felix, who also happens to be my new best friend – wouldn't have picked it up and seen my images. I had my name written all over that thing in the unlikely event I'd lose it, I was going mad with worry over it when I'd lost it, it cost me $1,249.00.

When he found it and looked through my pictures, he contacted me and asked if I wanted to work for him, taking photographs for a new fashion line. I declined, admitting that my dream since I was ten was to open my own professional photography shop. He seemed very excited about this, "There just aren't enough places in New York where people can have a family photo without being hounded by cards and suggestions for other places." He'd told me.

So, instead of offering me a job in photographing models, he'd recently purchased a piece of land in Manhattan, just next to Central Park and offered it to me free of charge, as long as he got part of the salary. Boy was he good. I could afford anything I wanted these days, the shop was such a large success that 'Volturi' – which was the best – had collapsed. I admit, I felt bad about that, but Aro had always been a bitch to everyone so that relieved my guilt a bit.

My shop was a place where families went to get a photo to hang on their wall. You could choose between having a picture done in a white room, but I also had employed artists who could draw you if you preferred.

Snapping a final photo of two cute little twins for their mothers' birthday I plugged my computer into my Laptop and slightly adjusted the brightness of the girls, while fading the background out a little. Happy with my work, I saved the files under 'Higgenbottom' and went to the front desk to talk payment with the girls' father.

Considering I had been trying to calm the children down for 2 hours, I charged the family $350, a very reasonable price.

"Thank you, Mr Yates, have a nice day." I smiled as he left, before collapsing into the spinny chair behind the desk and sighing in exhaustion. I couldn't actually remember the last time I'd had a day off or gone out with my friends. The ding above the door signalled another customer, so sighing and dragging myself to my feet I turned to face them.

"Oh, hey Felix!" I greeted, surprised. He never usually came into the shop during the day.

_Yeah, he's usually asleep after getting layed all night._

"Hey Bells. I've got a favour to ask you."

"Shoot."

"Well, I know you're all grannyfied and what not with your non-stop working schedule, but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come to my little house party shindig tonight."

"House party? You mean the house party that consists of a barbeque in your garden and then we all get drunk and dance to music before crashing on your couch?" I smirked.

"Yeah babe, it's party time and shit." He said casually, leaning in against the door jamb but he slipped and whacked his face on it, sending me into a near hysteria with laughter.

"Yeah yeah Bells, laugh all you want but this party is gonna be epic."

"Who's coming?" I asked.

"Me, you, Kate, Lily, Jack, Tom and Brad."

"You know, you could just say 'the usual.'" I told him, stacking some files on my desk.

"I know that, Isabella but if you hadn't interrupted me, I would've also mentioned that I have new neighbours and they may or may not join us for a while." He replied cockily.

"Watch your attitude Felix, or I'll have to beat you. And okay yeah I'll come, it's Friday I guess. What time do you want me?"

"I'd want you any time, baby." He winked.

"Felix! I swear to God I'll pummel you to the ground." I warned as he laughed.

"Of course you will, little Bell. Anyways, come round for about 6. Catch ya later."

He walked out before I could find something to throw at him; he knew how much I hated that nickname. That's what Edward used to call me.

Edward was my best friend since we met in third grade. _Was_ being the key word here.

"_Hey!" A boy asked me as I coloured in my flower._

"_Hi." I replied nervously._

"_I think we should be best friends." He grinned._

"_Okay then!" I smiled excitedly._

"_I'm Edward." _

"_I'm Bella."_

_He stuck out his hand._

"_What are you doing?" _

"_You're supposed to shake it." He told me in a 'duh' tone._

"_Shake it?" _

"_Uh-Huh. I saw my Dad doing it once." He smiled again._

"_Oh! Okay then." _

_He grabbed my hand and wiggled it up and down as we laughed. _

Ever since that moment, we were inseparable. Every night one of us was at the others house and I'm pretty sure I'd heard my mom discussing with his mom about our wedding. That all changed when he introduced me to Angela, of course. We were 17 and I smiled along not letting on how much the news secretly crushed me. I'd loved Edward since I was old enough to understand what love is. I tried to get over him by accepting the offer of dating Ben, who was a very nice boy in my year. Of course it didn't work, and when the time for college came along, Edward and I went our separate ways. We kept in touch of course, but when he sent me pictures of him and Angela looking so happy, I didn't reply and soon enough, he got the picture and stop sending them. Eventually, all contact between us stopped.

Angela was a really sweet girl, she was good for him. I'd known her quite well before hand and she and I were quite close. My relationship with Ben lasted for maybe a year before we broke up to continue being friends.

That was so hard for me. Before college, there had never been a day I hadn't talked to Edward or his brother Emmett. Not only him, but his girlfriend Rosalie, her brother Jasper and his girlfriend Alice.

Trying not to think about it, I got up and went into the back to edit some pictures.

After adding all sorts of requested tinges on various people's purchases, I saved them all before checking the clock. It was 4 o'clock, leaving me 2 hours before the 'party'. I let Annie go, one of my many workers, before grabbing my coat off the peg. Double checking I'd turned everything off, I got into my ever faithful Chevy truck, I checked my planner to make sure I had no appointments booked for the weekend – even though I closed on a weekend, sometimes I did the odd photo shoot – which I didn't. I shoved that back in my bag before digging my keys from one of the pockets and shoving them in the ignition. The ancient truck rumbled to life and I drove the familiar route home.

When I arrived back home I threw my keys on the table by the door and walked up the stairs my bedroom, throwing my bag on my bed before lying face down on it.

I didn't realise I'd fallen asleep until the shrill ring of the phone woke me up. I grumbled random nothings to myself as I reached to the bedside table to grab the phone of its hook.

"Hello?" I mumbled into my pillow.

"Bella! Where are you?" Felix shouted in my ear over the music I could hear in the background.

"Could you go somewhere quieter or at least turn that racket down? I can barely hear you."

"Yeah, sorry." He told me once he'd turned it down. "Now, where are you?" He demanded.

"At home. You just rang my house phone, genius." I heard laughter in the background, Felix had put me on speaker phone.

"Ooh, someone's got their granny pants in a twist."

"Fuck you." I grumbled.

"Listen Bells, are you planning on coming over any time soon?" He asked, ignoring my earlier comment.

"Yeah, I fell asleep. What time is it anyways?"

"It's about 7." He told me after a slight pause.

"WHAT? Why the hell did you let me sleep that long Felix?" That's just great, it'll take me forever to fall asleep tonight now."

"Well I didn't think you'd go and fall asleep did I?" He defended himself.

"Okay, okay I'll be over in 10." I yawned.

"Ciao Bella." He laughed.

"Yeah, very funny Felix. See you in a bit guys!" I said a bit louder to the people on speaker.

A chorus of "Byes!" travelled through the phone before I finally got my ass in gear and got up, pulling on some denim shorts, a thick woolly jumper and some flip flops. I know, totally random but my legs were usually the warmest part of my body. Emptying my bag of anything work related and throwing in some pyjamas, knowing I'd end up sleeping there, I left the house, locking it behind me.

Felix lives about 5 houses down from me so I just ran along the road to his house. When I got there, I walked straight through the house round to that back, knowing he's probably be annoyed if I took him from his party.

"Hello!" I shouted as I entered the back yard.

"Why, why, why, if it isn't Isabella Swan!" Jack called over to me, I flipped him off.

"I'm offended!" He shouted.

"Good." He very maturely stuck his tongue out at me, so I stuck mine out at him.

"Felix, I've got pyjamas this time so I don't have to wear your boxers again." I told him, throwing my overnight bag at him.

"That's great Bells, but what the hell do you want me to do with it?"

"Put it somewhere, it's your house." I told him, smiling. He glared at me before going inside, probably putting my bag in the bathtub and leaving me to find it.

"Nice legs Bells." Brad shouted as Lilly wolf whistled.

"Thanks." I winked sticking my leg out in front of me.

"There's the Bella we know and love." Felix called as he walked back outside. He smacked my ass and he walked past, laughing as I yelped, before going to the grill to continue cooking.

I spun around in a circle, looking at the people here.

"I thought there were newbie's coming?" I asked.

"Yeah, they already came but went home to get something, they should be back any second." Kate told me as I sat next to her.

"Oh okay. Are they nice?" I asked her.

"Yeah they're lovely, they just moved in next door."

"Yeah, and that Emily is one hot chick!" Brad shouted. I rolled my eyes at him and turned to Felix.

"Felix, where the hell is my bag? My camera is in there and I swear to b'Jesus if you've broken it I will break you."

"Are you being serious? I touched that thing once and you broke my finger, like I'd intentionally damage it." He shivered.

"Well, where is it then?"

"In the bathtub." I laughed.

"Of course it is." I smiled to myself, before going inside. I walked up the stairs and into his bathroom to get my overnight bag from the bath, when I noticed there was some leftover water in there, maybe from when he had a shower, but my bag was sitting right in it.

I ran down the stairs and outside, completely ignoring the fact that new guests had arrived.

"Felix Timothy Smith, you left my overnight bag in some water." I told him icily, walking towards him slowly. His eyes widened considerably as everyone else backed away.

"Bella, just calm down okay? Is your camera okay?" He asked nervously.

"I don't know, I haven't checked yet." I threw the bag at him. "Hold." I glared. He immediately held his arms out as I dug through my bag for my camera.

When I found it I took it out, turning it on to make sure it was okay. I wiped some of the damp off the bottom before I breathed I sigh of relief. He seemed to notice this, because his posture immediately relaxed.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch, Felix." I put the camera round my neck, putting it on the right mode so I could take pictures of the night.

"Don't I know it? How was I supposed to know your camera was in there? I didn't hear a bang when I threw it."

"YOU THREW IT?" I shouted.

"Um, no?" He gulped.

"Dude, you're in the shit." Brad laughed.

"Bella, I didn't know it was in there, I swear I wouldn't have thrown it if I did."

Taking a calming breath, I took one step back away from him and checked my camera for dints or scratches, it seemed fine but I checked the lens and flash as well. Everything was as perfect as they were when I brought it.

"You're an even luckier son of a bitch. No disrespect to her, she's a lovely woman. I don't know where she got you from though." I glared.

"Owned!" Jack shouted. "Nice one Bells."

I turned around and high-fived him, laughing.

"Anyway, Bells. This is Emily and Phil Brennan." Lilly told me.

"Hey, I'm Bella Swan." I smiled.

"We've heard a lot about you." Phil smirked and I rolled my eyes.

_I'm sure they have, stupid._

"Mommy!" A small voice called from the direction of the Brennan's house, we all looked towards the windows to see a small girl standing and staring at us.

"That's Tanya, our daughter," Emily laughed. "She's 5."

"Aaw, well she looks a lot like you." And it's true that she did look like Emily, she had strawberry blonde hair that curled in ringlets around her face – the colour matched Phil's hair – and the dark skin tone that Emily had.

"Well we better head back over there, it was nice meeting you all." Phil smiled as they walked away.

"They seem nice." I muttered aloud to no one in particular.

_Nice one Bella, just start talking to yourself – it's totally normal._

**So, like I said before, if any of you have an interest in photography could you drop a review and let me know if any of that actually made any sense? Thanks. **

**Please leave us a review? We'd love you more than Edward if you did...well, maybe not as much but it would be pretty close. ;)**


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